TRAPEEZE
Instead of using a dog bone, handle, or whatever else names they have, is it a good idea to use a LINE with an EYE splice or even a bowline eye?

No more chipped teeth, no bloody lips, easy and cheap.

Or am I just loco-in-the-coco?
<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Many sailors will plat dyneema or simular into a loop and use a bit of clear plastic tubing to hold shape.

Light weight, strong, cheap and easily replaced..... All plus.

I am looking at doing likewise but at the moment have 40mm stainless rings. With these small rings or loops.... To hook up, slide your thump through the loop and guide to hook. It sounds fiddly, but you will be supprised how easy it is and once you get in the habit, will only use this technique for hooking up.

I thought I was doing something wrong when I cop it in the ear etc with the steel bits.... I will have a play.

Robi,
Spectra threaded inside clear plastic tube and tied in bowline works great in place of dog-bone. Even though the spectra easilly takes the load it will eventually fail through fatigue at the load point from the trap hook.
Just make sure you replace the spectra annually and you should be OK.

Regards,
Phill

So I guess I aint loco-in-the-coco! GOOD! thanks folks.

I like the idea of the Bethwaite harness. It has a slotted plate which accommodates a simple plastic ball at the end of the trap. Looks the goods to me.
Anyone have experience?


http://www.ps2000.ca/estore/trapeze.htm

The The New Bethwaite Trapeze System looks verry nice,
only one remark; does in not 'unhook' or 'release' too quickly?
If I'm sailing alone and need to come in from the trapeze in a windfall or need to adjust something I don't want my trapeze to release or 'unhook' because I might need to go 'out' a second later, if it releases unnoticed you can end up in the water.

I've been using the "Can't Miss" style handles for 20+ years and would never go back to the dog bone. Matt starting sending out the Blades with the "Can't Miss", but too many people complained and he went back to the dog bones. I'm not sure why some people do not like the "Can't Miss" style, but I don't miss having a metal object flying at my face. Plus, I get a better feel of securing the hook before I push my butt over the side.

Jamie

No scratches on the side of boats... does anyone know of an NZ supplier or how to order from Aussie and what price range?

For those out there who want to buy such equipement
look at page 48 of this link key-hole system
And Nacra has two sorts of harnas with a quick release system, but than you still have the problem of the metal rings flying in your face.
At our cat club there is someone sailing on an Nacra Inter 20 and he is very pleased about his quick release harnas,only one problem if you need to release it is difficult to put the plate with hook back on!

Rick:

Do you have anything like this?

Not yet, but when I buy a new/other cat I probably switch to the "key-hole" system.
Also because it reduces scratching your hulls.

I have the Bethwaite harness and Aluminum spreader, and have used the Kevlar spreader. Get the Kevlar, as it is much lighter. The AL one is comperable weight to a convention steel wire spreader.

The spreader is fantastic for crawling back on the boat post-capsize. I've had 2 rough capsizes in the last few months, one with a hook, and one with a Bethwaite system. No worries with the keyball, but my first thought with the hook floating under the boat in zero visibility and 7' seas was weather I had lines around the hook. (Next thought was "which way is air?")

I find the keyball system to be as secure as a hook ring, but you can't beat the ring for hooking up blind. (Sometimes I miss with the keyball and have to look down to connect, which should matter only to serious racers.) It's worth the safety, IMHO.

I find the Bethwaite harness to be as comfortable as any, despite the simpler design. And there are no straps to catch on anything. The spreader also works fine with conventional harnesses, in my experience. However, the zipper of my previous front-zip drysuit sometimes blocked the ball from hooking in easily.

The velcro on the Bethwaite harness is not reliable after it ages, even when rigged according to the instructions. Once you get it adjusted, have your sailmaker (or local apholstry shop) flag stitch the straps.

I've heard bad things about both the plastic (non-bethwaite) spreaders and wire keyball spreaders failing and dropping people. I would avoid those.

Pete,
Anything like which?

The gizmo these guys are talking about.

Ragbak was talking about two different "gizmos." One is the ball-and-keyhole system, which we have in our store. The other thing I think he was talking about is the kind where the whole plate can be released from the harness, and we do not have seem to have that.

This one is coming out soon, but you still have iron flying around your head, so the key-hole system is probably safer. [image]http://www.teammagicmarine.com/marine/images/spreader.jpg[/image]

I've got one of these.
I deliberately broke it though, the little eyelet on the spreader bar was in the position of where the chickenwire cleat had to go.

I have the same MM safety spreader harness bar. Overall I like the harness (Pro Mesh), but I question the 'safety' feature. While on land I pulled the quick release pin the other day. It took me at least 30 seconds to get the pin released and I had to FIGHT to get it released... I could have undone the entire harness and climbed out in less time with less effort! One other thing, once the pin has been pulled you have to take the entire harness off and fight to reassemble the safety hook assembly, which was another major ordeal to get it back together. On the flip side, the hook has a nice keeper finger (not shown in the above pic) on it which allows the dog bone to slide off easily so I'm not sure why you'd need the 'quick' release anyway. Other than the POS quick release feature, I really like the harness.